[Korrespondent] 23:28 As a result of a missile attack on the Chaplino station in the Dnipropetrovsk region, 22 people have already died , five of them were burned in the car; an 11-year-old child died. Search and rescue operations at the railway station continue, Zelensky said in an evening address.
23:01 Putin has not given up on his strategic goals of taking over most of Ukraine and overthrowing the Kiev regime, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl said. He also said that the Pentagon considers the supply of GMLRS guided missiles to Ukraine, which are used with the help of the M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS, to be the highest priority.
22:23 According to the UN, 11.5 million Ukrainians have left the country since the beginning of the war, while almost 5 million have returned to Ukraine since February 28.
21:36 Zaporizhia NPP should become an object of civilian infrastructure, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said at a meeting of the UN Security Council. He also urged to organize a visit of the IAEA mission to the station as soon as possible. In addition, the Secretary General said that "the mission studying the incident in Yelenovka must have safe access to all places and persons without restrictions and without interference." The International Committee of the Red Cross should also have access to all prisoners of war, Guterres stressed.
21:25 In Mirgorod, Poltava region, Russian troops fired at a military airfield today, the equipment on it was damaged, the press center of the 831st tactical aviation brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
21:23 Zelensky said at a meeting of the UN Security Council that the Russians hit a railway station in the Dnipropetrovsk region - at least 15 people were killed, about 50 more were injured. The missile hit passenger cars at the Chaplino station.
21:20 The head of the Khmelnytsky OVA, Serhiy Gamaly, said that the Russians launched two missile attacks on the critical infrastructure of the Shepetovsky district this afternoon. Windows and doors were smashed in neighboring houses, there is no information about the victims yet.
21:17 Russia may announce "referendums" in the occupied Ukrainian territories as early as this week, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the White House National Security Council: "The Russian leadership has instructed officials to begin preparations for holding fictitious referenda. In fact, we see Russia's announcement of the first or more referendums before the end of this week."
21:10 Another sign appeared on the Alley of Courage in Kiev - with the name of Boris Johnson.
21:06 In the afternoon, the invaders launched a large-scale missile attack on the Sinelnikovsky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region. One of the missiles hit a private house, killing a child born in 2011. The shelling of a civilian infrastructure facility was also recorded, said the chairman of the regional council, Nikolai Lukashuk.
20:51 Zelensky, during his speech at a meeting of the UN Security Council, said that only Ukraine's victory over Russia would stop its aggression against other countries: "If Russia is not stopped now by Ukraine's victory, then all these killers may eventually come to other countries in Europe, Asia , Africa, Latin America".
The President also proposed holding the Summit of the Future under the auspices of the UN next year in Kyiv: "UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres wants to organize the Summit of the Future next year. We support this initiative and reaffirm that in order to build our common future, it is necessary to leave in the dustbin of history what did not allow humanity to live in peace, namely, aggression, colonial ambitions.
In turn, Russia's representative to the UN, Vasily Nebeznya, said that the Russian Federation is counting on resolving the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations. He also stressed that Russia is ready to provide the IAEA delegation with security guarantees in the event of a visit to the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and will seek from the UN "unambiguous assessments" of the situation around the plant.
20:38 Borrell said that in the long term, one should think about security guarantees for Ukraine in order to prevent a recurrence of the war in the future.
20:33 Russian aggressors on the Independence Day of Ukraine more actively than usual stormed the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine not only in the Donbass, but also in the southern regions, the General Staff reports in the evening summary .
20:18 Neither the Ukrainians nor the leaders of the Western world doubt that Russia will lose in the war it unleashed against Ukraine. About where such confidence comes from - in the material Results of six months of the war .
19:46 The Pentagon told what will be included in the new package of military assistance to Ukraine for 2.98 billion dollars:
- six additional NASAMS air defense systems with ammunition;
- up to 245,000 shells for 155 mm artillery;
- up to 65,000 shells for 120-mm mortars;
- up to 24 anti-artillery radars;
- unmanned aircraft systems Puma and ancillary equipment for UAS Scan Eagle systems;
- VAMPIRE anti-drone systems;
- missile systems with laser guidance;
- funding for training, maintenance and support.
19:19 Johnson said that peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the moment could be a disaster for the whole world: "There is a certain logic in the position in which we find ourselves, because now there are no negotiations, no proposals. Putin does not offer negotiations , and even if there was such an offer, I don't see under what circumstances the Ukrainians would agree to these negotiations."
19:07 Zelensky awarded Johnson the Order of Freedom - this is the highest award that a foreigner can receive in Ukraine. "This award fully reflects what Boris has done and is doing for our country," Zelensky said.
19:01 The invaders are trying to complete their infantry units at the expense of specialists from the missile forces and military sailors. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the strategic missile forces are recruiting personnel who will voluntarily express a desire to take part in the war against Ukraine. As of August 22, only 1% of the total number of required personnel expressed such a desire.
The commanders of formations and units of the marine corps of the RF Armed Forces complain that the use of their military for other purposes leads to the loss of the capabilities necessary for them to perform tasks during amphibious operations. As a result of combat use as motorized rifle units, they suffer significant losses in personnel.
18:43 In Mariupol, the invaders continue to prepare for the trial of the defenders of Azovstal. According to the adviser to the mayor of the city, Petr Andryushchenko, the quarter with the Philharmonic building, where special cages were built, was closed by the Russian military for the second day in a row. Yesterday workers at the Philharmonic were ordered not to go to work. In the morning, three buses drove up to the building, accompanied by five KAMAZ trucks with military personnel.
At the same time, public groups controlled by the occupying authorities in Mariupol reported that the Philharmonic was mined and at least one explosive device was found. “This information, referring to “my source in the Philharmonic, saw it for sure,” is similar to preparing the information space for another provocation by Russians with the participation of our defenders. Actual mining under tight security measures in the Philharmonic building and nearby is simply impossible,” Andryushchenko stressed.
18:08 Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on Sky News that Russian tourists pose a threat to the country's security. According to her, the Estonian authorities do not have the ability to check all the tourists who come from the Russian Federation, and this is a problem. Kallas again called for a complete ban on Russian citizens from entering the EU countries, since tourists are mainly from Moscow and St. Petersburg, which means they "can put pressure on the Kremlin."
17:43 Zelensky will speak today via video link at a meeting of the UN Security Council dedicated to Ukraine. The representative of the Russian Federation tried to speak out against, citing the fact that participation by video link is not provided, but the Security Council, with 13 votes in favor, decided to invite the President of Ukraine. Only the representative of the Russian Federation voted against, China abstained, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
17:40 The head of the Khmelnytsky OVA, Serhiy Gamaly, announced missile strikes in the region.
17:33 OK Pivden reports that along the Crimean coast behind Cape Tarkhankut, ten Russian ships and boats are hiding from Ukrainian attacks. Of these, four are carriers of Kalibr-type missiles, including a submarine with almost 30 missiles at the ready.
17:15 Serhiy Prytula showed what Bayraktars look like, for which Ukrainians have collected 600 million hryvnias. Baykar made a gift for Independence Day and decorated them with embroidery.
17:09 The Armed Forces of Ukraine hit the bridge near the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station. “Clearly on target again,” wrote Serhiy Khlan, adviser to the head of the Kherson OVA.
16:55 Johnson announced the provision of a new $63.7 million military aid package to Ukraine, which will include 850 microdrones. The office of the head of the British government noted that the new aid package from London will help improve early warning capabilities.
16:36 Boris Johnson visited Ukraine on Independence Day:
16:19 In the Chernihiv region around 15:30, Ukrainian air defense shot down an enemy drone, OK Pivnich reported.
16:17 Pope Francis called Daria Dugin "an innocent victim of the war." Ukrainian Ambassador to the Vatican Andriy Yurash answered his statement: “Today’s speech of the Pope disappointed and made us think about many things: one cannot speak in the same categories about the aggressor and the victim, the rapist and the raped; how can one of the ideologists of Russian imperialism be called an innocent victim? She was killed Russians as a sacred sacrifice and is now on the shield of war."
16:14 Putin instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to pay 10,000 rubles at a time to the parents of students aged 6 to 18 in the "DPR", "LPR", occupied Zaporozhye, Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
16:11 In the Vinnitsa region, Ukrainian air defense destroyed an enemy air object, said the head of the OVA, Serhiy Borzov.
15:47 The National Guard announced that it "detained" two employees of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, "cooperating with the Ukrainian military."
15:44 Podolyak called Lukashenka's behavior clowning: "It seems that Lukashenka really believes that the world does not notice his active participation in crimes against Ukraine. Therefore, he cynically wishes for a "peaceful sky", firing deadly missiles at us. This clowning is soaked in blood, fixed and will be have concrete consequences. Right after the fall of the barbarian Russian empire."
15:38 Ukraine has destroyed $16.6 billion worth of Russian military equipment in six months, Forbes calculated. The greatest loss of the invaders was the cruiser Moskva worth $750 million. The Russians' second most expensive loss was an $86 million Il-76 large landing aircraft shot down by air defense forces in late February over Vasilkovo, Kyiv region.
15:24 World leaders and representatives of foreign states, in their congratulations on the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day, admire the courage of the Ukrainian people and promise to continue to support them "for as long as it takes." More details - in the material World congratulates Ukraine .
15:10 In the occupied Lugansk region, 55% of men were forcibly mobilized, and the mobilization process continues, Vereshchuk said on the air of the telethon. For those who have not yet been mobilized, she advised them to evacuate and flee in any way, because "it will not work to sit out" - the occupiers attract even minors into their ranks. And for those who have already been forcibly mobilized, the only way out is to lay down their arms and not fight against the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
14:49 Biden congratulated Ukraine on Independence Day and announced the allocation of a new $ 2.98 billion military aid package: "This is the largest tranche of security assistance to date: approximately $ 2.98 billion in the form of weapons and equipment that will be provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative to enable Ukraine to acquire air defense systems, artillery systems and munitions, anti-missile unmanned aerial systems and radars so that it can continue to defend itself in the long term."
14:35 IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi met in Istanbul with the head of Rosatom Alexei Likhachev. According to the Russian side, the key topic of the meeting was the situation at the Zaporozhye NPP. Rosatom said Russia was ready to "arrange the logistics" for the IAEA mission to the station.
14:04 Danilov, in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza, said that Putin wants to rest, seeing that the Russians are "burning out", but he will not give up his goal: "You must understand that Vladimir Putin put everything on one card - the card of war with Ukraine. Hope that he will stop and not try to bring it to its logical end is self-deception."
13:55 Ukrposhta has issued a block stamp and an envelope called Vilni, Nezlamni, Neperemozhni on Independence Day , General Director Igor Smilyansky said.
13:41 The ECHR has ordered Russia to respect the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war. According to the Ministry of Justice, on August 23, the ECHR urgently considered Ukraine's petition on Russia's observance of the rights of the captured defenders of Ukraine and adopted an appropriate decision.
13:07 Ukraine on Independence Day will receive a $3 billion non-refundable grant from the United States, Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko said: "The funds will come through the mechanism of the World Bank. Grant assistance is a significant gift to our country on Ukraine's Independence Day."
13:03 There is no threat of a ground operation from Belarus, Andrei Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said in an interview with the Belarusian opposition newspaper Nexta. According to him, the Ukrainian authorities are working out different scenarios, including an invasion from Belarus. Although Belarus is already participating in the war, providing its airfields for air strikes on Ukrainian settlements, repairing Russian military equipment and recruiting Belarusians to participate in direct hostilities against Ukraine.
12:56 Portuguese Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho announced that he had arrived on a visit to Ukraine: "I have the honor to be in Kiev on this day, when they celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine, which Russia wanted and could not destroy. I bring a message of solidarity , political, military, financial and humanitarian support of Portugal to Ukraine".
12:53 The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation promised to pay 1 million rubles for assistance in the detention of commanders Azov Nemichev and Velichko, who allegedly tortured the Russian military.
12:42 Russians attacked Mirgorod, Poltava region, with air-to-ground missiles, probably X-22, according to the 831st tactical aviation brigade. Missiles hit military infrastructure, the fire continues. The number of victims and the scale of destruction are being specified.
12:17 Russian media write that in the suburbs of the occupied Melitopol, an explosive device went off on one of the power lines, a support pole was damaged.
12:15 In many cities of Ukraine, another wave of reports about "mining" has begun today. Speaker of the Odesa OVA Serhiy Bratchuk warns that this is an element of a hybrid information war: "The enemy is trying to sow panic in this way. He not only fires missiles at Ukrainian cities, but can also arrange provocations."
12:11 Ukraine won the first stage of negotiations with Russia and will win in the end, Arakhamia said on the air of the telethon: "At the first stage, we definitely won, even they admit it. Now we are in the second stage. We are now on a break. Why are we on pause? Because it depends completely, directly on the success of our Armed Forces. As soon as there are successes, I think we will win the second stage as well."
12:06 Today, the occupiers fired cluster munitions at the village of Malaya Danilovka in the Kharkiv region. Private houses and infrastructure were damaged, two civilians were injured, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. Also, right now the enemy is shelling the city of Dergachi from artillery.
12:02 UAF shot down an enemy missile over the Cherkasy region, said the head of the UVA Igor Taburets.
11:41 The SBU prevented the FSB from organizing staged "protest actions" in Ukraine on Independence Day. The Russians planned to use relatives of the Ukrainian military to aggravate the socio-political situation in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr and Poltava regions. According to the plan of the enemy intelligence services, the "protesters" were to actively criticize and condemn the military command of Ukraine, and the organizers planned to film it. The organizers of the pseudo-actions were supposed to be former members of the NGO Journalists Stremousova.
11:37 Each large family in the evacuation will receive a laptop for teaching children, Irina Vereshchuk said on the air of the telethon.
11:29 In order to save the bridge across the Kerch Strait, Russia must withdraw its troops from Crimea, NSDC Secretary Alexei Danilov said in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza. He emphasized that the Crimean bridge is a military facility, since the Russians are transferring equipment and personnel through it: “Therefore, this facility is subject to destruction. There is nothing surprising in this. But Putin has a chance to save this facility if he withdraws troops from Crimea through this bridge".
11:24 The Washington Post writes that on the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion, Yermak received a call from Putin's deputy chief of staff, Dmitry Kozak, who said that it was time for the Ukrainians to surrender. Yermak cursed Kozak and hung up.
Two days later, on February 26, Reznikov had a conversation with his Belarusian "colleague" Viktor Khrenin (who assured on February 22 that there would be no offensive from the territory of Belarus). The Belarusian minister said he was delivering a message from his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu: "If Ukraine signs the act of surrender, the invasion will stop." Reznikov replied that he was ready to accept capitulation from the Russian side.
11:21 Great Britain and Norway will transfer to Ukraine a batch of Teledyne Flir Black Hornet microdrones designed for reconnaissance at short distances, Reuters writes. The total cost of the package will be about $9 million. Drones will be used for reconnaissance and target identification.
11:18 The head of the Poltava OVA, Dmitry Lunin, said that the Russians launched four missile attacks on the infrastructure of Mirgorod.
11:11 "Mayor" of Donetsk Kulemzin announced a direct hit of an allegedly Ukrainian projectile in the Galaktika store in the Kirovsky district.
10:38 Shoigu said that the slowdown in the offensive during the "special operation" in Ukraine is "a conscious decision, due to the desire to minimize civilian casualties." At the same time, he added that "the operation is going according to plan, all tasks will be completed," and the supply of weapons to Ukraine by the United States and its allies "multiply the number of victims and prolongs the military conflict."
10:17 Zaluzhny congratulated the Ukrainians and told what Independence means:
10:04 In the Zaporozhye region, a car was blown up, in which the "head" of Mikhailovka Ivan Sushko, appointed by the Russians, was located. According to Vladimir Rogov, a member of the "main administration council" of the occupied Zaporozhye region, Sushko was wounded due to the explosion, he was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but could not be saved.
10:02 Last night, the Russians fired at the Shevchenkovsky district of Kharkov, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. Residential buildings were damaged, two people were injured. The village of Dokuchaevskoye, Rogan community, was also fired upon, without casualties. During the day, the enemy massively shelled Tsirkuny, one person was wounded.
09:58 Russians early in the morning fired at the New Bug of the Nikolaev area. A fire broke out on the roof of a two-story residential building, several more houses were damaged. Nine people were injured, including two children, said the head of the OVA, Vitaly Kim. Also, the Bereznegovatskaya community was shelled at night, information about the victims is being specified.
09:55 British intelligence writes that the Russian offensive in the Donbas is progressing minimally, and Russia expects a major Ukrainian counterattack. Operationally, Russia is experiencing a shortage of ammunition, vehicles and personnel. Morale has also declined in many parts of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, and there are problems in the army. Russia's diplomatic power has dwindled and its long-term economic outlook is grim. Six months later, it is clear that the war proved costly and strategically detrimental to Russia.
09:38 Zelensky congratulated Ukrainians on Independence Day:
09:36 The Russian army fired at night on three districts of the Dnepropetrovsk region - Dneprovsky, Nikopol and Krivoy Rog. The enemy hit the Dnieper region with two X-22 missiles, a fire broke out. Information about the dead and injured is being investigated, said the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko. Two people were wounded in Marganets, Nikopol district.
09:31 In the Donetsk region over the past day, one civilian died from Russian shelling - in Bakhmut. Two more people were injured, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said.
09:28 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of August 24th. The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Donetsk direction.
- personnel - about 45,700 (+150) people liquidated,
- tanks - 1924 (+3),
- armored combat vehicles - 4243 (+5),
- artillery systems - 1036 (+3),
- MLRS - 266 (+0),
- air defense systems - 147 (+1),
- aircraft - 234 (+0),
- helicopters - 199 (+1),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 819 (+2),
- cruise missiles - 196 (+0),
- ships/boats - 15 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 3160 (+10),
- special equipment - 99 (+0).
09:04 Lukashenka congratulated the people of Ukraine on Independence Day, wished "a peaceful sky, tolerance, courage, strength and success in restoring a decent life." "I am convinced that today's contradictions will not be able to destroy the centuries-old foundation of sincere good-neighborly relations between the peoples of the two countries. Belarus will continue to stand for the preservation of harmony, the development of friendly mutually respectful contacts at all levels," Lukashenka said.
08:43 The head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, showed how members of the 305th air port squadron at the McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst base are loading military aid, which is sent to Ukraine.
08:20 Every decision to issue visas to Russians should be made on an individual basis and take into account "political aspects," said Anita Hipper, spokesperson for the European Commission: "This should be done by Member States. They should evaluate each visa application in accordance with the political aspects, internal security or international relations".
07:55 The Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted a fire defeat on the enemy and forced them to retreat in the Slavic direction, the General Staff said in the morning report .
07:02 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests that the commanders of Russian military groups in Ukraine report directly to Putin, bypassing the Russian Defense Ministry and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. In addition, analysts do not rule out that Shoigu lost Putin's trust after the initial phase of the "special operation."
Russian authorities are deploying security forces in the Luhansk region, likely in response to declining support for the war and growing reluctance to fight among Lugansk residents. Such deployments divert these forces from operations elsewhere in Ukraine, likely contributing to Russia's broader failure to turn limited tactical gains into operational gains, ISW notes.
Also, analysts do not rule out that the Russians held a "fake event" with the shelling of the center of Donetsk to justify attacks on Ukrainian government buildings on Ukraine's Independence Day.
During the day, the occupying forces carried out limited ground attacks northeast and south of Bakhmut, on the northwestern outskirts of Donetsk and southwest of Donetsk. Russian troops have achieved limited success east of Nikolaev and in the northwest of the Kherson region. In the Kherson region, Ukrainian troops continued to strike Russian military assets and ground communications.
02:15 Russia is using the ZNPP as a springboard for waging war, US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Richard Mills said at a meeting of the Security Council. Mills said that only Putin and members of the Russian delegation can explain why Russia believes it can redraw international borders by force in violation of the UN Charter. And only Putin and his people can answer for the atrocities that they committed against the Ukrainian people.
At the meeting of the UN Security Council, most countries announced a threat from the Russian Federation. Representatives of a number of states believe that there is no reason for the presence of Russian troops at a nuclear facility and supported the creation of a demilitarized zone, which will allow the IAEA mission to conduct an objective assessment of the situation at the ZNPP.
01:44 The Russians fired at Zaporizhia, rockets hit the infrastructure facilities of the Shevchenko region and not far from the Kommunarsky region. According to preliminary data, there are no casualties, said the head of the OVA Alexander Starukh.
00:19 Liz Truss, when asked about how she would feel if the situation required her to press the "nuclear button", said that she would do it: "I think this is an important duty of the prime minister. I ready to do it."
00:07 Reznikov said in an interview with CNN that Ukraine has already crossed the line when one could expect a "worst-case scenario" for the development of a war with Russia. Now, he says, Ukraine is on the verge of a "new phase" of the war because it is launching a counteroffensive in a different direction: "We are in the process of stabilizing the battlefield with a small movement of units, and we have created a lot of good deterrents there."